Pneumatic pistol



Oct. 17, 1950 w. A. TRATscH PNEUMATIC PISTOL 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1946 Oct. 17, 1950 w. A. TRATscH PNEUMATIC PIsToL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July s. 194s INVENToR. /Z'er /f 7/:475

Oct. 17, 1950 w, A, TRATSCH 2,526,592

PNEUMATIC PISTOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 5, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct-17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Walter A. Tratsch, Chicago, Ill. ApplieationJuly s, 194e, serial No. 681,218

2 claims. (C1. 124-11) a This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pneumatic pistols, one especially adapted for target practice and designed to propel a pellet or other missile under pneumatic pressure in the direction of a target.

The inve-ntion contemplates an arrangement of parts for controlling the admission of air under pressure to the ring barrel in synchronism with an arrangement for controlling the individual movement of the shots or pellets from the shot tube to the firing barrel, vand to this end this present invention has as one of its principal objects the provision for attaining the above accomplishments by mechanism which is simple in structure and economical in manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter described-and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

` Fig. l is a part sectional elevational view of a pneumatic pistol embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view in elevation similar to Fig. 1,'illustrating the parts in firing position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view similar to Fig. 4, showing the parts locked against firing operation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of loading the shot in the shot barrel;

Fig. '1 is an elevational View of the reverse side of the pistol as viewed in Fig. 1

Figs. 8'and 9 are enlarged perspectiveviews illustrating theJ mechanism for closing the passage of the shot tube with respect to the ring tube of the pistol.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form of construction by which the several objects'of the invention are accomplished.

In this connection my improved pneumatic pistol includes a handle structure IEBV from which extends a barrel II. In this barrel i I there is arranged a firing tube I2 and a shot -tube "I3, arranged in substantially parallel reiation withY respect to each other and extending from a mounting block I4. v

The mounting block I4 has formed the-rein a passage I5 communicating with an'enlarged bore 2 I6 in which is slidably arranged a valve plunger I1 functioning to normally close communication betweenV the passage I5 and orifice I8, which orice I8 is in turn normally closed by a second valve plunger I9. This plunger I9 is slidably mounted in the mounting block I4 and is provided with a hollow end portion 20, one wall of which provides an oriiice 27| adapted to communicate with the orice I8 so as to open communication between the passage I5'and the firing tube I2.

Communicating with this passage I5 is a nipple 22 to which a rubber hose or other exible conductor may be `connected for connecting the nipple'22 in communication with a suitable source of compressed air. v t As best shown in Fig. 1, the pellets or shots 23 contained within the shot tube I3 are adapted to be successively admitted to the firing tuberi 2 forwardly of the valve plunger I9 through the opening' 24; To assure the admission of one shot at a time to the rlring tube I2, a. stop arrangement is provided. In this instance, this stop arrangement includes a stop finger 25 depending intothe shot tube I3` a predetermined and sufiicient distance to block the passage of pellets from Y the shot tube to the iiringtube until thisfinger 25 is moved from such blocking position by means presently to be explained.

The valve plunger I9 has a head portion 26 providing an annular groove 21 into which engage the bifurcated end portions 28 of va lever 29 pivotally supported by means of a pintle 30 between the side walls 3| of the handle structure I0 and projected through an elongated slot 32 4formed in a trigger 33. The trigger 33 provides a stud 33 which bears against a web 34' formed as an integral part of the lever 29 Wherebyupon pivotal'movement of the trigger 33V in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, this stud 33 will bear against the web 34 to pivot the lever 29 to effect movement of the plunger I9. This trigger 33 is pivotally supported by a pintle 34 carried by the side walls 3| of the handle structure I0, and it includes a cam ringer- 35 which, as shown best in Fig. 3, is adapted toV engage'wthe end portion 36 of an arm 31. This arm 31'is formed as an integral part of a U-shaped bridge 38, and the'arm 31 as well as its companion arm 39 fis"pivotally connected to the mounting block i4 as at 49. The stop nger 25 is formed/asian integral part of this bridge portion 38.

The arrangement is such that when the trigger 33 is pivoted in an anticlockwise or firing direction, the cam iinger 35 will bear against the end portion 36 of the arm 31 and impart a pivotal movement to the bridge portion 38 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l, thereby to elevate the stop finger to permit the movement of the next succeeding pellet or shot 23.

Simultaneously with this movement, the lever 2S will slide the valve plunger I9 forwardly in the direction of the barrel I I to register the orifice 2l with the orifice I8, whereby to admit air under pressure to the ring tube I2 to project the pellet or shot 23 therefrom.

Air under pressure will be thus admitted through the orices I8 and 2i when the valve plunger Il is permitted to be moved rearwardly under air pressure through the passage I5, in a manner now to be explained.

This movement of the valve plunger I'I is permitted by the following described structure. Pivotally connected by means of a pintle 4I, is a rocker block 42 having a pair of spaced arms 43 between which a roller 44 is pivotally connected by means of the pintle 45. This rocker block 42 provides a U-shaped web 46 to provide spaced arms 41 and 48. The arm 48 has connected thereto, as at 49, one end portion of a spring 58, the opposite end portion of the spring 58 being connected as at 5I to the bottom wall 52 of the handle structure I0. The arm 47 of the rocker block 42 carries a pin 53 which engages a seat 54 formed in an arm 55 pivotally carried as at 55 by the rearwardly extending arm 5l formed as an integral part of the trigger 33. The arm 55 is normally urged in a direction to engage the pin 53 by means of a spring 58 connected as at 59 to the arm 55, and as at 68 to the trigger arm 57.

The arrangement is such that upon pivotal movement of the trigger 33 in an anticlockwise direction, the arm 55 will be caused to bear against the pin 53 and pivot the rocker block 42 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, to disengage the roller 44 from a blocking arm 6I. During the ring operation the extension I'I of the plunger I1 will under pneumatic pressure forcefully pivot the arm 5I in an opposite direction to strike the end of the arm 6I against the extension 68 disengaging the arm 55 from the pin 53 thereby to allow the rocker block 42 to return to its normal position by the action of the spring 58, after the ring operation has been completed. This blocking arm 6I is pivotally carried by a pintle 62 between the side walls 3l of the handle structure I8. The lower end portion of the blocking arm 6I is bifurcated as at 63 and provides a shoulder 64 which is adapted to engage an end portion of a latch arm 55 pivotally carried by a pintle 66 between Vthe side walls 3l of the handle structure I6. This latch arm is normallyheld into position with the shoulder 64 by means of a spring 61 (Fig. l). The latch larm 65 is disengaged from the shoulder 64 by the upward movement of the arm 55, which arm 55 carries a lateral extension 68 adapted to engage the latch arm 65 when moved upwardly to disengage the latch arm 65 from the shoulder 64. Upon this disengagement between the latch arm 65 and shoulder 64, the locking arm 6I will be free to pivot and consequently the air pressure 1n back of the valve plunger I1 will move the valve plunger I1 to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 to admit the air under pressure into the shot tube I 2. When this free pivotal movement of the blocking linger 6I takes place, the shoulder 64 will be elevated in the position shown in Fig. 4, so that upon release of the trigger 33 for return to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1 the rocker block 42 will be pivoted in snap action by action of the spring 58 and again dispose the blocking arm 6I in the position shown in Fig. l, with the shoulder 64 in latched engagement with the latch arm 65.

In order to assure a full stroke of the trigger 33 in an anticlockwise direction, there is provided a full stroke device 69 comprising a ratchet head 'I0 and a pawl 1I, the pawl being formed as an integral part of a rotatable disc 'I2 carried by a pin 13. This pin 13 is supported by a plate 'I5 positioned between the side walls I6 of the handle structure III. Full stroke devices of this character have been used in connection with coin slides of vending machines and are of well-known construction similar to that shown in Patent 881,688.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have illustrated the manner of loading the shots in the shot tube I3. The shots 23 are packed in a suitable tubing 'I1 of a construction substantially similar to that shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,297,947 and in a manner substantially shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,339,064.

Formed on one of the side walls 8| of the handle structure i8 is an elongated tubular section 18 and slidably arranged in this tubular section 8 is a rod 19, one end of which supports a bracket structure 8U provided at its upper end portion with a tubular sleeve 8l. The shot tube i3 has a rearwardly extending portion 82 which loosely extends through a split sleeve B3, the end of the shot tube being indicated at 84. In this end portion 84 of the shot tube I3, the tube TI with the shots 23 therein is slidably projected.

Slidably carried by the sleeve 8l is a tube 85 and arranged within this tube 85 is a ram rod 86. This sleeve 8| and the tube 85 are normally pivoted in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the tube 85 telescopically arranged upon the end portion 82 of the shot tube I3.. This tube 85 provides a nger latch 81 which has a nger button 88. When the tube 85 is in the position. shown in. Fig. 2, the latch finger 8'! is pivoted downwardly to engage the upper end portion 89 of a locking bar 90 (Fig. 1).

To load the shots in the shot tube I3, the finger latch 81 is pivoted to a substantially vertical position or in a position where it will pass freely through the slot 88' of the sleeve 83, and after the tube 85 has been completely withdrawn from telescopic position upon the end portion 82 of the shot tube I3, the sleeve 8| is pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 6. This permits positioning the loaded tube 11 into the end portion 82 of the shot tube I3, after which the sleeve 8i is pivoted back to its normal position, the tube 65 moved forwardly to bear the ram rod 86 against the end portion 9| of the tube TI, whereby to pierce this end portion and move into the tube to force the shots from the tube I1 into the forward end portion of the shot tube I3 or in the position shown in Fig. l. The tube TI remains in the sleeve 82 after the shots are removed therefrom and is removed from the sleeve when the sleeve 8l and its associated parts are pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 6.

The lock bar 90 is pivotally carried by a pintle SI' carried by the adjacent side wall of the handle structure, and it is normally urged in the position shown at A (Fig. 4) by means of spring 52. This lock bar S8 has a lateral extension 93 formed on its lower end portion, and when in the position shown at A (Fig. 4), it will be disposed. in the path of a depending finger 92' formed as an integral part of the trigger arm 51, and in this position of the extension 93, the trigger is prevented from returning to its normal or starting position as shown in Fig. 5. However, upon complete insertion of the tube 85 in telescopic position about the end portion 82 of the shot tube I3, the operator will pivot the ringer latch 31 in a direction to bear such ringer latch upon the upper end portion 89 of the lock bar 99, and in so doing the lock bar 99 will be pivoted in an anticlockwise direction about its pivot 9| to dispose the lateral extension 93 from the path of movement of the ringer 92 of the trigger arm 51, to permit the trigger to complete its return to the position shown in Fig. 5.

Prior to the loading operation, the trigger is pivoted to ring position and manually held in such position until the extension 93 is disposed in the manner described, beneath the nger 92', the plunger I1 having returned by action of the rocker block 42 to closing position with respect to the orifice I8.

In order to prevent the admission of the compressed air into the shot tube I3 during the loading operation of the shots into the shot tube when the ram rod is in the position shown in Fig. 6, by the accidental pivotal movement `of the trigger to firing position, I provide upon the shot tube I3 adjacent the orice 24 a fixed sleeve 94 having a partially cut-out portion 95 into which projects a finger 98 carried by a rotatable sleeve 91 disposed between the tube 85 and the fixed sleeve 94 when the ram rod is in the position shown in Fig. 1. This rotatable sleeve 91 likewise has a cut-out portion 98 for the reception of a linger 99 formed as an integral part of the tube 85. A second cut-out portion |99 is provided in this sleeve 91 for the passage of the blocking finger 25. Formed in this rotatable sleeve 91 is an opening IOI which is adapted to register with ther orifice 24 when the ram rod is in its innermost position and the linger latch 81 pivoted upon the upper end portion of the lock bar 90. However, when the nger latch 81 is pivoted in a direction to be positioned for movement through the slot 90' of the split sleeve 83, the extension 99 will, when the ringer latch 81 is rotated, impart rotation to the sleeve 91 so as to pivot the sleeve 91 to a position to dispose the opening |0I thereof from registration with the orifice 24, and with a portion of the sleeve 91 blocking passage through the orifice 24. A spring element |02 has one end portion connected as at |03 to the rotatable sleeve 91 and an opposite end portion connected as at |04 to the shot tube I3, whereby to hold the sleeve 91 in position upon the shot tube I3 for rotation thereabout. In this manner, when the sleeve 91 is rotated in the position shown in Fig. 9, the orifice 24 will be closed by a wall of the sleeve 91 and thus prevent any compressed air from going into the shot tube during the loading operation, should the trigger be moved accidentally to firing position.

From the foregoingdescription, it will be apparent that I provide a pneumatic pistol in which the mechanism for controllingthe feeding of shots from the shot tube to the rin'g tube is in complete synchronism with the operation of the mechanism for permitting the compressed air to be admitted into the firing tube for firing purposes.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred iorm of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a pistol of the class described, a barrel providing a firing tube and a shot tube in parallel relation with respect to each other and providing a normally open oriiice through which the shot tube communicates with the ring tube and through which orice shots pass *from the shot tube to the ring tube, shot loading means for the shot tube, a movable sleeve on the shot tube and rotatable relative thereto and having a portion movable upon rotation of the sleeve relative to the shot tube to close said orice, means actuated by operation of an element of the shot loading means for rotating the sleeve 'to move said portion into closing position with respect to the'orifice during loading of shots by the shot loading means into the shot tube, means for controlling the passage of shots from the shot tube to the ring tube including trigger-actuated means, and a trigger pivotally associated with the barrel for actuating said trigger-actuated means.

2. In a pistol of the class described, a barrel providing a lring tube and a shot tube in parallel relation with respect to each other and providing a normally open orifice through which the shot tube communicates with the ring tube and through which orifice shots pass from the shot tube to the firing tube, shot loading means for the shot tube, a movable sleeve on the shot tube and rotatable relative thereto and having a portion movable upon rotation of the sleeve relative to the shot tube to close said orifice, means actuated by operation of an element of the shot loading means for rotating the sleeve to move said portion into closing position with respect to the orifice during loading of shots by the shot loading means into the shot tube, means for controlling the passage of shots from the shot tube to the firing tube including trigger-actuated means, a trigger pivotally associated with the barrel for actuating said trigger-actuated means, and means actuated by the shot loading means for latching said trigger against operation during the loading of shots by said shot loading means into said shot tube.

WALTER A. TRATSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,854,605 TratschA Apr. 19, 1932 2,288,891 Dreyer July 1, 1942 2,304,320 Tratsch Dec. 8, 1942 2,398,813 Swisher Apr. 23, 1946 

